Photo: Fotospeedy
Billy Monger believes he could have fought for a second Euroformula Open win were it not for a opening lap clash with team-mate Christian Hahn at the Red Bull Ring.
The 20-year-old qualified fourth for the first race of the weekend, his best starting position of the season, and had a “better second phase of launch” to challenge Carlin team-mate Hahn into Turn 1.
Monger took the inside line and was squeezed onto the kerbs, which put him into Hahn’s path on the exit of the corner.
“In my opinion he didn’t give me enough room on entry and cut across, so I ended up making contact across the kerbs,” Monger told Formula Scout. “It’s hard to say whose fault it was but it’s shame it happened between team-mates.”
Damage from the clash bent Monger’s steering, and he was “locking on the outside-front on most corners” at the back of the field. He fought his way back up to fifth, setting what was fastest lap on the way, before a trip through the Turn 6 gravel sent him back down the order.
“The mistake where I dropped from fifth to the back was my fault. I was overpushing trying to catch the front guys, which was annoying because If I’d managed to keep it on track, I think with the pace that we had, we would definitely have been challenging for a podium.”
He fought back once again to challenge Aldo Festante and Julian Hanses for seventh on the penultimate lap, but ended up being forced out of the race.
“They both went up into Turn 3, Festante locked up, Hanses went wide, and I got the run out the corner.
“Festante obviously tried to defend a position but his spatial awareness wasn’t there, because he just sideswiped across the front of me and took my whole front-left wheel off. Considering we could’ve had seventh out of what was quite a disaster of a race, it would’ve been good to get points. It’s really annoying that it happened.”
Monger was classified 11th, marking his fourth pointless race in a row and one that has dropped him to 12th in the standings. Had he successfully passed Hahn at the start though, he thinks the race would’ve gone very differently.
“When I was coming through to fifth, my pace was better than [race-winner Marino Sato]. If I’d had that pace and I’d been through to third, then second after Julian Hanses took his penalty [for a jumped start]. Yeah, we could’ve been challenging for the win there.
“I’m really disappointed with the result. It’s?not valid of what pace we had.”
Being able to “find what makes the car tick” has resulted in a turnaround for Monger, especially in qualifying where he has continually struggled. Besides his Pau Grand Prix win, all of his points finishes have come from lowly starting positions and superb opening laps.